1. Field:
The invention is in the field of portable garment bags and bags commonly referred to as carry-on bags which can be carried onto a commercial airliner and stowed beneath the seat.
2. State of the Art:
The modern day business traveler is usually faced with the necessity of carrying three basic types of bags, (1) a garment bag, (2) a suitcase, and (3) a briefcase. The garment bag is normally configured to carry suits or dresses in an unfolded, or loosely folded, condition. As such, it has a long dimension and is inconvenient to carry. Most garment bags must be carried over an arm. The suitcase is designed to carry other items of clothing, and is configured and sized, and provided with a handle, all designed to provide a bag which can be conveniently carried, stowed, or set upright on a floor or table. The briefcase usually has a multiplicity of compartments for carrying office items such as pens, pencils, papers, books, a calculator, etc.
When boarding an airplane, the passenger normally checks the suitcase through to his destination, stows the garment bag in a forward closet in the passenger compartment, and carries the briefcase. At times, if the garment bag or suitcase is small enough it may be stowed in an overhead compartment or under a seat. However, in any event, the problem of dealing with three different bags presents an inconvenience to the traveler.
There are some existing garment bags that can be folded in half so as to reduce the length of the bag and allow it to be carried by a handle provided at the fold. While this makes the bag more convenient to carry, it does not, even when the halves are secured together, provide a bag which can be easily placed in an airplane's overhead compartment or stowed under a seat. Further, such bags lack the packing space of a suitcase and do not generally take the place of a suitcase. Combination garment bags and suitcases usually take the form of a a foldable suitcase and approximate the size of large suitcases. As such, they cannot be carried on an airplane, but must be checked. Currently available carry-on bags are sized to fit under an airplane seat, but do not offer the packing convenience of a garment bag for suits and jackets which must be folded into a small size to fit into the carry-on bags with resulting wrinkling.
With the current state of air travel where there are commonly long lines to check baggage, long waits after a plane arrives at its destination to retrieve checked baggage, and the constant possibility of loss of baggage that is checked, many travelers prefer to utilize carry-on luggage. However, there are no existing bags that combine all the desirable features wanted by a traveler, such as (1) a single bag which can be folded into a small enough configuration, and is resilient enough, that it can be stowed under a passenger seat or in an overhead compartment of an airplane; (2) a bag that can be carried and handled and set on a floor as conveniently as a suitcase; and (3) a bag that can serve simultaneously as a garment bag, suitcase, and briefcase. There is clearly room for improvement in the carry-on luggage area.